Take them out, dude: pilots toast hit on Iraqi 'civilians' (DoD inquiry)

[Barrett808]

Take them out, dude: pilots toast hit on Iraqi 'civilians'
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
06 October 2004

The Pentagon said yesterday it was investigating cockpit video footage that shows American pilots attacking and killing a group of apparently unarmed Iraqi civilians.

The 30-second clip shows the pilot targeting the group of people in a street in the city of Fallujah and asking his mission controllers whether he should "take them out". He is told to do so and, shortly afterwards, the footage shows a huge explosion where the people were. A second voice can be heard on the clip saying: "Oh, dude."

The existence of the video, taken last April inside the cockpit of a US F-16 fighter has been known for some time, though last night's broadcast by Channel 4 News is believed to be the first time a mainstream broadcaster has shown the footage.

At no point during the exchange between the pilot and controllers does anyone ask whether the Iraqis are armed or posing a threat. Critics say it proves war crimes are being committed.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=569207

[Jack_Dawson]

1. Great PR for the USA!

:eyes:

[Kimber Scott]

2. It's all a video game.

Strawberry Fields Forever.

[aden_nak]

3. I can't imagine why we weren't celebrated as liberators.

[RebelYell]

4. Like George Carlin said......

Nintendo pilots in Iraq

[Cocoa]

5. impossible that these pilots killed civilians

when we attack Fallujah, we only kill terrorists. So says the Pentagon.

/sarcasm

[okieinpain]

20. I hear by declare them terrorist.

[madrchsod]

6. chain of command

controllers give the authorization to fire. this problem is being widely debated in the command structure of our military and many feel that these situation could be avoided if the pilots or ground troops use their own judgment instead of someone thousands of miles away...

[Radius]

16. FAC with troops request>Air Controller>Pilot. Been that way for years(NT)

[MsMagnificent]

7. Winning hearts and minds

and stringing them on a belt.

More than a trophy -- it's a great conversation piece!

*gagging*

[bullimiami]

8. just firing at their feet

so they can "dance in the streets" for Lord W.

[riverwalker]

9. they hate us for our freedom n/t

[saigon68]

27. kick

[DrWeird]

10. "nothing wrong with taking a little pleasure in one's work"

As the fucking nazi bastards would say.

[Voltaire99]

21. Let the Eagle Soar!

Let the eagle soar,
Like she's never soared before.
From rocky coast to golden shore,
Let the mighty eagle soar.
Soar with healing in her wings,
As the land beneath her sings:
"Only god, no other kings."

-- Reichmarshal John Ashcroft

[saigon68]

23. Saw his performance on Fahrenheit 9-11

Disgusting

[Southpaw Bookworm]

11. Shameful

And we're supposed to be supporting these head cases?

[Rose Siding]

12. Here's the video and DU discussion link from the 25th

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2412601

edit- video in our link is down but they redirect to this link. Looks like it's up in the first post here:

http://globalresearch.ca.myforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=490&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=09c6b190951139bcf18d536f2a344804

[Kilroy003]

13. That video made me sick.

Can you imagine? Just standing there and all of a sudden the ground around you begins to explode and suddenly you're torn to shreds. Those poor souls didn't stand a chance. Those choppers can fire from miles away. Man, I sure hope the American people never have to go to war against the government. We'd be seriously out-gunned.

[CarinKaryn]

14. It's no wonder the world hates us

Or time is coming to put an honorably decorated hero in office instead of a coward and deserter who now lives out his fantasys through video such as this.

Sickening....the pleasure the soldiers and their masters take in killing.

[Ilsa]

15. Our pilots are rejoicing in killing people.

Even if they were terrorists, I don't think I could be happy about killing them. Relieved, maybe, but not happy. The fact that they are "people", and he couldn't tell whether they were women and children or civilians makes me sick.

I guess God will have to hold these people accountable. I'm glad I don't have to go to bed with one of these assholes every night.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

17. Maybe they are Earnhardt Racing fans?!?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/27/60II/main645795.shtml

-snip-

"Politically, Junior does side with a voting block known as NASCAR dads. He’s a Republican and he supports George W. Bush. Yet, he took his crew to see Michael Moore’s movie, “Fahrenheit 9/11.” Why?

“I like hearing both sides of the argument. I thought the movie was well done. But my dad was a Republican, and I'm a Republican, and so not that I came out of there going, ‘I ain't voting for Bush again,’” says Earnhardt Jr. “That didn't happen, and I didn't expect that to happen. I just wanted to go and enjoy the movie. Because I knew Michael Moore would try to push a few buttons. And I just wanted to see how hard he mashed them.”"

[colonel odis]

18. see, w., THIS is how you run off potential allies. not by what

kerry's saying.

just so you know the difference.

[geek tragedy]

19. Bill and Ted Go to War

We killed some Iraqis, Dude: Excellent!

We're going to the Hague: Bogus!

[Disturbed]

22. Killing the enemy or murder?

You decide.

[Bo]

24. George the Crusader

....bringing the rapture one death at a time.

[saigon68]

25. Like the Muslims are just going to sit around and Take It?

Ya right.

Every child whose parent is killed by the Bush Criminals is vowing and pledging revenge

A forest of Hawthorne trees has been planted.

[Starlight]

26. It's like pouring water on gremlins

I heard that somewhere (on Air America I think) and it's so true. There are many more "terrorists" now than there were in 2001.

[tibbir]

28. And of course US media is all over this....

Yeah, right.

[w4rma]

29. Everyone sees the crap but American voters.

*everyone* EXCEPT American voters. We are kept in the dark because the folks in power know darn well we wouldn't stand for this type of crap to be going on. And so people die and our names get run through the mud by the folks we entrusted with too much power.

Except in this case, King George wasn't even elected. He took power. And then he used his position to scare folks and gerrymander his buddies into power.

[Zerex71]

30. I'd love to see this happen to us.

I'd love for a Syrian MiG-29 to come barreling through any shopping center where Wally World is and nail a cluster of "insurgents" who were just shopping. I think it's only fair, don't you?

Mike

[Southpaw Bookworm]

31. Turnabout is fair play

What's good for the goose . . .